The White Sox didn’t just finish off Detroit on Sunday. They clawed back from the kind of hole that can drain a game fast, then turned it into a 7-5 win and a sweep that leaves them 5.5 games clear of the Tigers, Twins and Guardians in the divisional race.
That makes this series feel huge for Chicago, and the sweep in Detroit carries extra weight too: it was the first time the White Sox swept the Tigers on the road since June of 2022.
Sean Burke had been rolling into this start, posting a 1.60 ERA over his last 10 games. This one went the other way.
Burke lasted just 4.1 innings and was tagged for five hits, four runs and three walks while striking out only two. His velocity was down, his command wasn’t crisp, and the outing never really found a rhythm.
Will Venable went to the bullpen after 72 pitches, a move that raised an eyebrow but made sense given how Burke’s stuff looked.
Chicago was staring at a 3-0 deficit early and later trailed 4-1, but the bullpen kept the damage from getting any worse and gave the offense room to work.
The spark came in the fifth. Drew Romo’s two-run homer pulled the White Sox back into it, and Colson Montgomery followed with a big hit with a runner in scoring position to tie the game.
From there, Munetaka Murakami delivered the swing that flipped everything, a two-run blast that gave Chicago the lead. It was Murakami’s 28th homer of the season, and one of the biggest of the year.
Miguel Vargas added his own 28th with a homer of his own, and that put both players in a place White Sox fans hadn’t seen since 2019, when Jose Abreu and Eloy Jimenez were the last Chicago teammates to reach 28 homers in a season.
The White Sox went only 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, but they still found a way to finish the comeback.
The pitching behind Burke mattered just as much. Rookie Hagen Smith was excellent again after taking over in the fifth, allowing one walk and striking out one over 1.2 scoreless innings.
Huascar Brazobán then ran into trouble, giving up two hard-hit doubles in 0.2 innings, with one of them driving in a run. Brazobán now has a 5.14 ERA in six games with Chicago.
Sean Newcomb entered in a jam in the seventh and got out of it, then finished the job with 2.1 scoreless innings for the save.
Now the White Sox head into a crucial Crosstown Series with the Cubs riding the momentum from a sweep that looked shaky early, then ended with Chicago in control.
In Other News...
Tarik Skubal's Dodgers Comments Are Reopening A Painful Tigers Debate
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It also reopens a familiar Tigers debate about game management and how different managers handle their starters. The pitch count philosophy in Detroit was not the same as what Skubal has experienced in Los Angeles, and the difference is hard for fans to ignore when they compare the two stops side by side. Even without a final answer attached, the discussion says plenty about how one of the franchises most important arms is being used, and how that choice still resonates back home. [Read more 🡒]
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A.J. Hinch said Carpenter has been sent to see a foot specialist, which only adds to the uncertainty around how quickly this can turn around. The Tigers do have other players available to cover Carpenters spot in the lineup for now, but the broader question is whether they can absorb the loss without it becoming a problem that lingers deeper into the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Max Clark May Be Settling In Faster Than The Tigers Expected
Max Clarks adjustment to major league pitching has come with a subtle but important change in his approach at the plate. Early in the year, Clark and the Tigers used a toe-tap to help address range-of-motion issues, but as hes gotten stronger, he has moved back toward a modified leg kick that more closely matches his natural timing.
The shift has helped his hitting performance, and it has also offered a glimpse of why the Tigers are so encouraged by him. AJ Hinch has praised Clarks baseball intelligence and his ability to adapt, a combination that can make the difference for a young player trying to settle in against big-league arms while still learning what works best for him. [Read more 🡒]